The Association of American Universities (AAU) has awarded “mini-grants” to 12 AAU member institutions to support their efforts of refining undergraduate science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.
The mini-grants are funded by a five-year, $1 million grant from the Northrop Grumman Foundation which supports maintainable and diverse national programs to improve STEM education and provide STEM instructors with the skills and knowledge needed to be successful, according to an AAU release.
The grants were awarded to Brandeis University; Case Western Reserve University; Emory University; Georgia Institute of Technology; Indiana University Bloomington; New York University; Stony Brook University; The University of Arizona; University of Maryland, College Park; University of Oregon; University of Toronto; and Washington University in St. Louis.
The efforts that AAU will support through the grants reinforce the cross-cutting strategies the association believes to be crucial in furthering reforms. The strategies include establishing learning communities for STEM faculty members involved in reform efforts, creating programs to train undergraduate teaching assistants and graduate students or peer advisers in active learning practices, renovating classrooms into collaborative learning spaces and establishing inclusive and welcoming learning environments for all students.